Pacers Haven’t Found Suitable Granger Deal
The Pacers have tested the trade market for Danny Granger over the last 24 hours but haven’t found a deal they like, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Indiana has long been expected to seek out a trade for the pending free agent but it doesn’t sound like they’ll have a deal worked out in the next few hours.
Granger, 30, missed the bulk of the 2012/13 campaign and didn’t make his debut this season until the week of Christmas. In 29 games this season, the former face of the Pacers has averaged 8.3 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 22.5 minutes per contest. That’s a significant dropoff from the numbers he put up from his rookie year in 2005/06 through 2011/12 – 18.2 PPG and 5.2 RPG in 33.3 minutes per game.
ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard reported in late January that the Pacers would only move Granger if they were “blown away” by an offer. It would appear that Indiana held true to that stance. Granger is earning $14MM in the final year of his contract.
Southeast Notes: LeBron, Magic, Hawks
LeBron James offered a rare glimpse into his long-term plans in an interview that aired on NBA TV Monday night. James can opt out of his deal this summer, and while he says that he can’t picture himself leaving the Heat, he’s putting off his decision until after the season, as The Associated Press notes.
“At this point, I can’t,” James said to interviewer Steve Smith. “At this point, I can’t. We don’t know what can happen from now to July, so what I’ve been able to do this whole season to this point is just worry about what’s at hand and that’s winning another championship. And hopefully at the end of this year I can put myself in a position where I can hold that Larry O’Brien Trophy up once again and then I will assess what I have to do with my future after that.”
While we wait to see what the No. 1 free agent will do, here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Agents and executives around the league think the Magic have a strong chance to attract a second star via free agency if they could just find a first star, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe. The Magic are prepared to spend up to the tax line if need be and go into the tax when executives feel the team is “one piece away” from a title, CEO Alex Martins tells Lowe. Still, the club senses no urgency to make a push next season, Lowe writes, believing that the easiest way, by far, for the club to find that first star is through the draft. Lowe also notes that the Magic are more wary than most teams of taking on any players with character issues.
- The Magic are unlikely to make a run at Lance Stephenson in the summer, as there’s fear around the league that he won’t be quite as team-oriented if he’s not around the strong structure of the Pacers, according to Lowe.
- The Hawks are seeking a small forward, as Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News writes in a story on the Knicks’ pursuit of Jeff Teague, which appears to have cooled.
Rockets Notes: Trade Targets, Bynum, Asik
No NBA executive makes deadline trades as often as Rockets GM Daryl Morey does, so Houston figures to get involved in the fun on Thursday. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle takes a broad look at the moves the Rockets have considered so far and the ones they might make in the next six days, and we’ll hit the highlights here:
- Feigen hears the Rockets have been on the lookout for a backup wing player who’s a strong defender and can catch and shoot. That desire eclipsed the team’s pursuit of a power forward or a perimeter player who can create off the bounce. It’s not entirely clear from Feigen’s wording whether the team is currently seeking that sort of backup wing.
- The Rockets had talks last month with Andrew Bynum before he signed with the Pacers, a source tells Feigen. Houston didn’t extend an offer, but Feigen isn’t sure whether that’s because the team didn’t think Bynum could contribute or whether it’s simply a reflection of the team’s intention to hold on to Omer Asik.
- Morey says that he continues to focus on improving the club for the future, though he admits he’s putting a greater emphasis on helping the present incarnation of the team than at past trade deadlines, Feigen notes. The Chronicle scribe also points to concerns about the length of Courtney Lee‘s contract as the reason the Rockets passed on a December trade that would have sent Asik to Boston for Lee and Brandon Bass. That’s a signal of the team’s reluctance to add commitments beyond next season, Feigen concludes.
Kyler’s Latest: Carmelo, Magic, W’s, Kings
Lottery picks will be hard to come by at the deadline, which means there’s a strong chance that clubs, like the Sixers, with hopes of trading for one will have to settle for less, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Kyler has a lot more from around the league in his latest NBA AM piece, as we detail:
- Knicks executives have had a “very open and candid dialogue” about the notion that Carmelo Anthony could leave as a free agent this summer, but they remain confident enough in re-signing him that they’re not looking to trade him at the deadline, Kyler writes. New York appears intent on adding to its roster rather than selling off assets, Kyler observes, though the Knicks are still reluctant to include a draft pick in a deal for either Kenneth Faried or Kyle Lowry.
- The Magic are open to moving Glen Davis, but there’s essentially no market for him because of concerns about his attitude and his contract, which pays him $6.6MM next season, Kyler writes. Orlando is listening to offers for Jameer Nelson, too, but the Magic’s unwillingness to take back long-term money makes it a long shot he’ll be dealt. Nelson’s deal, which gives him $8.6MM this season, is an impediment to a deal, too, according to Kyler, even though it’s partially guaranteed for just $2MM next year. Orlando also continues to rebuff offers for Arron Afflalo.
- The Warriors are interested in acquiring players who are either on expiring contracts or relatively short-term deals, and in spite of last month’s trade for Jordan Crawford, they continue to look around for point guard help, according to Kyler. They’re also looking to acquire draft picks, Kyler adds.
- The Kings remain the front runners for Andre Miller, Kyler says, though Miller’s lack of value on the market is making Denver hesitate. The Basketball Insiders scribe also reiterates that Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette are prime trade candidates for Sacramento and adds Aaron Gray to that list.
- Executives from the Magic, Wizards, Pacers and Grizzlies are downplaying their willingness to make deadline trades, but all of those teams are nonetheless on the lookout for some kind of deal between now and next Thursday.
Central Rumors: Cavs, Pacers, Mirotic
It shouldn’t be too much longer until the Pacers clinch the Central Division title. They’re up 14 and a half games on the second-place Bulls, and the only team with a realistic shot at passing the Pacers for the best record in the Eastern Conference is the Heat. Here’s more from a division that, outside of Indiana, is one of dysfunction:
- The relationship between Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters was reportedly a rocky one when trade rumors swirled around Waiters early this season, but Irving now refers to Waiters as a friend, as Bob Finnan of The News-Herald observes. Finnan has more on the on-court and off-court dynamic between the two Cavs guards.
- The Pacers reached out to Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, a former Pacers assistant, for advice about whether to sign Andrew Bynum, whom Shaw had worked with as a Lakers assistant, notes Scott Agness of Pacers.com. Shaw gave the center an endorsement, and, “I woke up the next morning to see that they had signed him,” the coach said.
- Nikola Mirotic is eager to sign with the Bulls this summer, but Real Madrid, his Spanish team, is intent on offering him a sizable new deal to convince him to stay, according to Javier Maestro of Encestando (translation via Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype).
- The dismissal of Maurice Cheeks was tough on Brandon Jennings, who calls the former Pistons coach a “father figure,” as Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News examines.
Lowe’s Latest: Granger, Ariza, Turner, Warriors
The Pacers have been actively looking to deal away Danny Granger, but have had little success, and the same is true for the Wizards and their attempts to unload Trevor Ariza‘s expiring contract, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe. The Grantland scribe also seconds a report from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that Washington is looking for a backup point guard. Lowe’s latest column focuses on the trade deadline, which is just nine days away, and we’ll pass along the highlights of a rumor-packed piece here:
- The Bobcats are “absolutely serious” about their pursuit of Evan Turner, Lowe writes, pointing to the connection between David Falk, who serves as Turner’s agent, and Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, a former Falk client. The Sixers are a lock to be “super active” as the deadline approaches, according to Lowe.
- Sources tell Lowe that the Warriors aren’t ready to trade Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes, in spite of the team’s struggles.
- Executives around the league are high on Alexey Shved, but the Timberwolves probably wouldn’t be able to get a game-changer in return for him.
- The Heat are ready to waive either Roger Mason Jr. or Toney Douglas to open up a roster spot so they can acquire a player via trade or in the post-deadline buyout market.
- Lowe continues to hear that the Nuggets are making Kenneth Faried available for the right return, even as Denver consistently denies such talk.
- Hawks GM Danny Ferry isn’t enamored with the four-year, $32MM deal that the team committed to Jeff Teague when it matched his offer sheet from the Bucks this past summer.
- The Nets seem to be leaning toward not making a move at the deadline, according to Lowe.
Central Rumors: Dumars, Monroe, Cavs
There has been chatter “for weeks” that Pistons president of basketball ops Joe Dumars is on shaky ground, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who adds that no one around the league would be surprised if he’s replaced in time for next season. Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times hears similar sentiments about Dumars’ job security, so Maurice Cheeks might not be the only one heading out of Detroit (Twitter link). There’s more on the team that made the first coaching change of the season on Sunday amid our look at the Central Division:
- The Pistons continue to turn away calls about Monroe, according to Lowe, who thinks the team need not be in a hurry to pull off any major trade.
- The Cavs are willing to trade just about anyone on the roster short of Kyrie Irving, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in his Insider-only “Tank Rank” piece. Ford casts Dion Waiters as the likely bait for a deal that would help improve the club, though it’s not clear whether that’s based on his reporting or if that’s merely educated speculation.
- New Cavs GM David Griffin will lead the way in the club’s approach to the trade deadline, but it’ll be a collaborative approach, with owner Dan Gilbert involved in the decision-making, a source tells Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
- Pacers players gave a lukewarm response when Kyler asked them about the signing of Andrew Bynum. Kyler hears that the Pacers won’t hesitate to waive the former All-Star and his $1MM guaranteed salary if he violates the club’s “low tolerance” policy for him.
- Terry Foster of The Detroit News wouldn’t be surprised to see Dumars step down this summer, realizing his fate. The News scribe believes the team’s decision to appoint John Loyer as interim coach for the rest of the season, rather than conduct an immediate search, signals owner Tom Gores’ lack of faith in Dumars.
Central Notes: Bynum, Cavs, Bulls
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert spoke about the need for a “cultural and environmental change” Thursday after dismissing ex-GM Chris Grant, and comments that Andrew Bynum made Friday to reporters, including Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star, seem to back that up.
“It wasn’t that it didn’t work (in Cleveland),” Bynum said, “it’s just the atmosphere over there wasn’t the one that kind of promoted positive energy in wanting to come in and really — it was just tough at the end of the day.”
There’s more on Bynum’s former team amid our look at the Central:
- Cavs owner Dan Gilbert says his team has what it needs to be successful, but he nonetheless believes the club will be active at the trade deadline, observes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. Gilbert wouldn’t say whether the team will be a buyer or a seller.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com answers reader questions, explaining why trading Taj Gibson to help the Bulls clear the necessary cap room to sign Carmelo Anthony would be an unnecessary risk.
- Earlier today, we passed along news that the Bucks are rejecting trade offers for Larry Sanders and the latest on the Cavs.
Eastern Notes: Bynum, Bobcats, Woodson
The Bobcats are going to be buyers at the trade deadline, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.com. With the Bobcats having exceeded expectations this season, and with the overall weakness of the Eastern Conference, the team will try and bolster their roster for a playoff push. The team has been actively shopping Ben Gordon‘s expiring $13.2MM contract, and would be willing to part with a first-round pick for the right player. Charlotte will surrender their pick to the Bulls if it falls out of the top ten, but might still have two first-rounders in this year’s draft. They are owed the Pistons first-round pick (top-eight protected), as well as the Trail Blazers pick (top-12 protected). According to Kennedy, the Bobcats have already inquired about the Sixers Evan Turner, and the Bulls Taj Gibson.
More from around the East:
- The Pacers have sent Orlando Johnson to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA D-League, the team announced via press release. This is Johnson’s first D-League assignment this season. In the 2012/13 season, he played four games with the Mad Ants, averaging 23.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 3.3 APG. He’s appeared in 36 games this season for the Pacers, and has averaged 2.5 PPG. and 1.4 RPG, while playing 9.4 MPG.
- Chris Johnson is “thrilled” that the Celtics are signing him for the rest of the season, writes Baxter Holmes of Boston.com. “I just have to give thanks to Danny Ainge for bringing me in and giving me the opportunity, Brad Stevens for giving me the opportunity to play when guys were injured, and my teammates for just giving me confidence,” Johnson said. In eight games this year, Johnson is averaging 7.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG. 1.3 APG, while playing 21.6 MPG.
- The issues between Pistons guard Will Bynum and coach Maurice Cheeks might not be over. Bynum and Cheeks had to be separated from a sideline confrontation during Wednesday’s loss to the Magic. Bynum doesn’t regret the incident, writes Brendan Savage of M Live.com. According to Cheeks, the two hadn’t spoken about the incident, and Cheeks became testy when pressed. Bynum said, “I don’t regret it. I regret the fact that maybe I was a bit too passionate about it. But other than that, no.” Bynum also said he has no plans to approach his coach about the matter.
- Nerlens Noel has ramped up his rehab activities, writes Dei Lynam of CSN Philly.com, but the team still isn’t saying if he’ll make his return to the court this season. The Sixers have 32 games remaining, but there is still a long checklist ahead of Noel before he would make his NBA debut, according to the team. With Spencer Hawes being rumored to be on the trading block, it’s unclear if him being moved would affect Noel’s status.
- Jeff Van Gundy believes that many Eastern Conference teams have “chosen to be bad” this season, writes Steve Reed of the Associated Press. To be clear, Van Gundy is talking about “tanking” for a better lottery pick. He wouldn’t name specific teams, but observed that the problem was real, and blames the current lottery system for the issue. He also stated, “It doesn’t necessarily mean the guys on the floor aren’t trying hard, but it means teams have put some really bad rosters on the floor. A lot of teams right now are happy with losing and that’s really too bad for the league. That’s too bad for the fans.”
- Knicks owner James Dolan reportedly met with Carmelo Anthony and at least one player after Wednesday night’s game, writes Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. The topic was the state of the team, and whether or not a coaching change was in order. The team’s front office is divided on keeping Mike Woodson, and there have been multiple reports that the coach is on the hot seat.
Pacers Seeking Trade For Bench Scoring
The Pacers would like to trade for a player who can help boost their bench scoring, tweets Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling. The team’s regular starters score 106.4 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com, a rate that would be tied with the Suns for the league’s eighth-best offense. Overall, Indiana scores just 102.3 points per 100 possessions, which puts them 18th.
Indiana’s leading scorer off the bench has been Danny Granger, who averages 8.6 points per game, but his expiring contract could be a trade chip, as I examined last month. He makes more than $14MM this season, but extracting a better scorer will be a tall order if Indiana insists on keeping its balance sheet for next season as clean as possible. Suitors have begun to line up for Lance Stephenson, whom one GM believes will command eight-figure salaries in free agency this summer.
It’ll be doubly tough for Pacers president Larry Bird to pull off a deal, since the team doesn’t have a first-round pick to trade. Bird dealt the team’s 2014 first-round pick to Phoenix in the Luis Scola deal this summer, and the Pacers can’t trade any of their other first-rounders because of the Ted Stepien Rule.